Elliott Sampley named Lyon softball coach

2014-06-17T20:46:50Z

BATESVILLE,
Ark. (LyonScots.com) – Elliott Sampley, a 1996 graduate of Lyon College and a 2008
inductee into the prestigious Lyon Athletics Hall of Fame, was named as
the sixth head coach in
the history of the Scots softball program on Tuesday, according to Lyon
Director of Athletics Kevin Jenkins.

Who
better to continue to lead the Lyon program in a positive direction
than a member of the start-up Scots baseball program in 1992 and a Hall
of Famer?

Sampley,
43, was one of only three members of the Lyon baseball program who
played the first four years of its existence from 1992-96. He graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Physical Education and later earned a Masters of Science degree in
Education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1997.

"I
believe Elliott is a great fit for our program at this time, and his
history with our Institution and ties to the community will enable him
to understand the type of student-athlete
we're looking for here at Lyon," said Jenkins. "He is the type of coach
that will continue to lead the program in a positive direction and there
is no doubt he has a passion for the game on the diamond."

Sampley, the 96th inductee into the Lyon Athletics Hall of Fame, said he also feels that his history at the College will be a plus as he begins
working toward the 2015 season.

"It's
an advantage (to be a Lyon alum), when it comes to recruiting and
helping the ladies continue their education because I know the demands
in the classroom and on the field
as a student-athlete here (at Lyon). I know what kind of players we need
for this program to be successful."

Sampley
brings 30 years of coaching experience to Lyon, working as a head coach
for 19 years and an assistant for 11. He has worked on minor league and
semi-professional baseball
staffs for eight years and 14 years on collegiate staffs.

In
addition to being a head coach of the Nevada Griffons semi-professional
baseball club (1997-2000), he served as an assistant for a Shreveport
professional squad of the Independent
League from 2002-05.

Sampley's
collegiate experience is in baseball, as head coach at Bossier Parish
Community College for four seasons (2002-05), and assistant positions at
Missouri Valley College
(2000-02), Pratt Community College (1998-00), Texarkana College
(1997-98) and Northwest Missouri State University (1996-97).

The
Lyon College softball program is coming off a 17-23 record in 2014,
improving six wins over the 2013 season and posting the third-most wins
in the history of the program.
The Scots tied for seventh place in its second season in the American
Midwest Conference, but missed the league's postseason tournament on a
tie-breaker.

Sampley believes the key to a continued climb in the league standings starts with recruiting.

"The
No. 1 key to continued improvement is recruiting," the new Lyon coach
stated. "You've got to keep bringing in quality student-athletes. I'll
also be implementing my philosophy
and keeping the team working hard every day so we'll continue to
improve.

"My
short-term goal here is to win a conference championship. My long-term
goal is to win a national championship. The shorter time it takes to win
a conference championship,
the better. My philosophy is tradition never graduates. I want us to get
better each and every year and to continue to build on the season
before."

He believes his style of play will not only be enjoyed by his players, but the fans, as well.

"My
style is a hard-nosed, fast-paced style of offense and defense,"
Sampley pointed out. "I like a very fast-paced game, with hustling on
and off the field, players verbally
being in the game, whether they are in the lineup or not. Everybody
needs to know the count and the situation at all times. We're going to
be intense and fast-paced all the time. We'll definitely be fun to
watch."

Sampley
will welcome back nine sophomores, three juniors and a senior from last
year's Scots team. Six incoming freshmen have already committed to
joining the Lyon program this
spring.